Living Hollows
by Ino1693
Summary: "What's your kind doing here?" The figure stepped forward, white teeth glaring in a grin as the mouth unhinged to speak."Nothing you'd need to flatter yourself with, trash. But" It spoke holding up the now rocking buddle. "I have a proposition for you."
1. Prologue and a spot of tea, yes?

**So this Ino is going to try again. This Ino knows she hasnt done anything in months. Je know. **

**Gomen nasai. Watashi wont make excuses. Demo, watashi is slowly working on it.**

**Soon.**

**Soon. Watashi no existence will be worth it again.**

**So lets start over again, iie?**

* * *

_~Black ash across the white sand _

_There is almost nothing left_

_~In a semi-balance that the so called guardians try to keep_

_With every flicker of light, there is but to equal a shadow_

_~ There is always a shadow_

_There MUST always be a shadow_

_~For what is a world without darkness or night?_

**_*4*4*4*4*4_**

The self-proclaimed god had returned to his white stone throne.

Dismally, he contemplates over the ending results of the once one-sided battle. His top soldiers; dead. His generals; currently lying in a chucky pile on the palace floor while the other, amputated.

_No town._

_No souls._

_No sacrifice._

_No Ōken._

He really needed to rethink his world domination plans.

In his palm, the black sphere sat, as dull as an old marble. The power drained from the fight. Disgruntled, he now needed even more than time than the original waiting period for his precious Hōgyoku to recuperate.

Even with his reiatsu, the orb could only handle so much.

His regression was slowing. His eyes, no longer black, closed and re-opened only half way, far seeing the impending future.

And he, Sosuke Aizen was very happy.

The prisoner had gone guest.

Their 'guests' were just gone.

And his Espadas were returning.

More or less.

Soon, with patience, those holes will be filled and the game could reset.

With new, far stronger pieces added.

The hot sweet liquid flowed down his throat as the king sat further into his cold white throne.

~_ Ands the buds will bloom anew~_


	2. That Calm before the Strom

Her vision was spinning as Orihime tried to steady herself. She held on against the wall as another wave of gagging nausea crashed over her. The adjacent bathroom door didn't have time to close before the sound of solids hitting water could be heard as Orihime lost some of what was her breakfast. Only a few minutes later as she dry-heaved, signaling the lack of stomach contents, did Orihime manage to wobble back into the bedroom.

It was confusing; until quite recently, she was fine. She ate quality meals, three times a day. She wasn't confined to her cell anymore; now residing in a master bedroom with carpeted floors and polished furniture; in addition to the large king sized four poster bed at the opposite wall, the silk sheets currently ruffled as she had bolted out of it earlier.

Blushing, she was content that she didn't share the grand room alone, though her stoic roommate was currently out on a small assignment.

Her stomach gurgled at the bile sensations, causing Orihime to flinch and curl into a ball, as a dizzy spell hit her again. The carpet was rough against her face as she laid there, waiting for the nausea to pass. She closed her eyes, hoping for relief soon.

After what felt like hours to Orihime, the nausea dimmed down enough for her to push herself off the now warm floor, from a sitting position to stand. As she balanced herself on her numb feet, another twinge edged itself on the end of her system and the main door was blasted open.

The door crashed into its adjacent wall as the eccentric form of the one and only made his way into the large room. There was a peculiar smell coming from the room, but he couldn't place it just yet. It was..._odd?_

"Ohayoo, Grimmjow." She smiled halfheartedly as she skulked to one of the overstuffed loveseats, her back to the Sexta, missing his analysis.

The results left him confused for a second. 'W_hat was up with her?'_

Ulquiorra never left his possessions in less-than-perfect condition. Shrugging it off, Grimmjow prowled and landed, the cushions lifting under his weight, next to her on the couch.

"Hey." Looking around, he couldn't make out anything wrong with or in the place. _Was it just his imagination? _A grin crept on his face as he turned back to her, a mischievous air about him, giving Orihime a foreboding feeling, which on top of her queasiness, wasn't the best of combinations.

"Do ya know when Bats' gonna return, Princess?"

She shook her head.

Grimmjow stretched himself out on the seat, an arm strategically placing itself around her shoulders.

It wasn't likely Ulquiorra was sent on anything huge. '_Prick.'_ He was probably just scouting or looking for the Vasto Lordes. With four positions open, Aizen was in the need of more soldiers.

The panther let out an exaggerated yawn, as he snapped up, a gleam in his sharp eyes that made the nausea shimmer for a bit. Turning to tower over Orihime, Grimmjow smirked down at her. "Want to do something, Princess? Something _fun_?"

_This oughta' get Bat's attention…the second he gets back._

Furiously, Orihime shook her head. If this was going to be a repeat of what happened las_

But since when did the blue haired overlarge house cat take no for an answer?

On Grimmjow's part, how was he to know that shaking a nauseous human, while tossing said human over one's back, would have certain consequences to it?

The sound of retching caused him to pause which in turn led to the cold wet sensation, of what really was the rest of her breakfast, to slide down and off his back and fall with small quick ~plops~ on to the carpeted floor.

Orihime moaned in pain and with regret as through the tears and lashes, she watched the vomit continue to slide down the stiffening back of the Sexta. Slowly, as to discontinue any more puke getting on his person, Grimmjow put the dizzy woman back on her feet, still having a grip on her, to make sure she didn't fall and cause injury. The latter, in which would be repaid with interest by her other.

Mild panic started to grow in Grimmjow's stomach; it was one thing to use her as bait to try to get a rise out of Cifer, with things been boring as hell; a rise or two evening out his days, would make up for it.

A sick human would cause a shit load of damage; most of that shit load coming from said Bat. The rest would come crashing from the man in the big chair. After the aftermath of the battle, Aizen made very clear that she was one of them; her actions had spoken for her loudly enough in where her loyalty was. Though Grimmjow had to chuckle, it still wasn't for the egotistic prick.

Back to the matter at hand, he raised a calloused hand to her forehead, feeling her temperature against his own. Confused when there wasn't anything there to compare with. She felt normal, but the puking definitely wasn't.

When waist deep in the 'oh shit' hole, there was only one place to unfortunately go.

Pulling Orihime along firmly but with careful ease, Grimmjow headed out of the room and towards the depths of the palace.

* * *

_Careful. Careful. Just 1 extra drop of the reishi compound could cause the __

**BANG**

~drip~

~hisses~

Nothing.

"…

…

Whew."

~**Boom/Crash/Shatter**~

The force of the explosion wasn't enough to cause any form of physical damage to his person but the _freshly _cleaned suit as well as his precious lap equipment and body were covered in soot, glass particles and the product of his experiment which turned from a clear substance to a purple mesh that clung like glue to all surfaces.

_Well, at least there's an interesting reaction..._

The tense seconds were broken by the snickers of the Panther standing by the shelves, shielded from the explosion, while the golden glow of the orange shield lite the lab further as Orihime moved closer to the scientist to help.

Szayel stopped her with a hand. Without facing them, he asked somewhat calmly, "May I be so bold to inquire as to why you decided to graces my humble abode, Jaegerjaquez-_san_?"

If it weren't for the fact that this buffoon was his _superior_, oh the things Szayel would love to do. The serum was beyond ruined and the equipment contaminated; _**just kami damn peachy**_.

"Never mind, if you'll excuse me," Ignoring his guests for the moment, Szayel disappeared into a different region to change.

A short time later, the bubble gum haired scientist return, a cleanly pressed and fresh uniform replacing the chaos previously.

Taking a deep breath, Szayel moved to round on his _visitors_, when a particular smell wafted through his senses.

He followed the pungent smell, right up to the Sexta's form. Taking a step back, a hand covering his now flooded nose, "Dear Aizen, Grimmjow, you smell absolutely ghastly."_ What the hell is that? _

Grimmjow huffed, jabbing a motion to Orihime, "Need you to check her."

Concern and a frown touched Szayel's face as he looked at her, brows raised, "Are we not feeling well, Orihime?"

She shook her head in response as he turned to Grimmjow, "I'll see what I can find," gesturing towards the doors, "If you wouldn't mind waiting outside. Patient confidentiality and such."

Grimmjow opened his mouth to argue but stopped, deciding it wasn't worth the energy and stepped out, relining the door back onto it hinges as he shut it. Besides he'll find out soon enough anyway.

Once the panther was out of the room, Szayel placed his patient on an open lab table, cleared of the previous…venture.

He then proceeded to poke and prod her, asking her questions of subjects like her recent meals, any pains in any parts of her body, changes in her reiatsu levels, all the while making notes on a clipboard he flourished out of nowhere.

All of such which were negative.

"Would your kind become malnourished from the lack of the bacterial forms found in the oxygen and atmosphere of the world of the living or the vitamins that your skin photosynthesizes from sunlight?"

"I don't know, maybe?"

Another note on the clipboard for later studies.

Szayel paused for a minute, thinking. _It would less than likely to be the case in this situation, but protocol would still need to be followed._

Then continued to proceed to ask her more personal questions, like when her last menstrual cycle had been and if she was currently sexually active. The pen stopped in its caffeinated spree across the paper as she fidgeted at that. A blush burning across her face as she nodded.

The eyes behind the glasses grew larger than their frames as all thoughts derailed and crashed at the tad bit of information.

Spiraling into a flurry of limbs, he stood her, handing her a lab gown as he ushered her into a side water closet, handing her another item in which he asked to gain a sample of her data.

Minutes later, she shuffled out, the gown on and the object holding her fate in hand, as she handed it back to the scientist and proceeded back to the table.

The said scientist was absolutely giddy with excitement as he scurried to his main computer, grabbing the proper equipment needed to read the material. If it was what he believed then the universe would be ripped open with new possibilities!

However, the scientist paused again, catching one of the few nagging snags.

…_Wait a minute. Doesn't Ulquiorra return soon? _

"Crap."

* * *

_**Speaking of which…**_

* * *

The main door opened easily as the figure walked in, his emerald eyes looking around for the one he left behind, when he stopped. Eyes narrowing, he quickly turned to step into the empty bathroom.

An odd smell floated from the marble basin as Ulquiorra inspected it further.

Vomit. There was human vomit in the toilet and a little on the floor around it, as if the trajectory was off before falling into the basin. Walking back into the bedroom, he noticed little specks of rice and egg on the carpet floor, making a small trail toward the door he just entered from. A larger pile closer to it had a particular shape to it as if…

_His onna, who, was not in the same healthy condition he left her in 18 hours ago, was moving around._

The other scent that permeated their domain caused Ulquiorra to pause as he absorbed the new information as his thoughts and Murciélago's inputs went to on what they could do with a new throw rug.

"**Blue would add a nice touch to our den, Master."**

'_Hai, and would remove the future pains the trash is going to be.'_

Turning on his heels, he sauntered out of their room, his domain and towards the bowels of the palace, with the destination of his mate and her acquaintance(s).

* * *

The hair on the back of Grimmjow's neck stood as, from miles above, an all too familiar reiatsu appeared back into Los Noches.

It made him grin but at the same time, sweat. How much time would he have to gain an upper hand on Bats with the knowledge of the girl's condition? Probably a few seconds, before Bats flattened him.

Not giving a crap if Pinkie was done or not, Grimmjow waltzed back into the lab, where he found a stiff Octava and a silent Orihime. His curiosity may be his future downfall, but be it as it may, Grimmjow walked from behind the scientist's back, looking over his shoulder at the thing in his gloved hand.

Both the Sexta and Octava stared. Eyes wide in incredulity, shock and on Szayel's part, beyond excitement as Grimmjow closed in to clearly inspect the little reader the Octava held.

_What the fuck? That's impossible…isn't it?_

Simultaneously, they looked back at the fidgeting human female sitting on the lab table behind them, who was blushing madly, and then snap back to the clear little pink mark on the reader in Szayel's hand, then to each other, before going back to the device.

"So whose gonna explain this to Bats?" Grimmjow mumbled, low enough that only Szayel could hear, eyes shifting back to the curious human.

"I believe we might benefit from letting Hime-chan do it. But never mind Cifer; imagine how Aizen-sama'll react to this little development!"

"Thought this kind of shit was impossible, with us being dead and all?"

Szayel shrugged, completely focused on the test reader. "Maybe it's more of a low fertility rate and stress levels counteracting the chances. Shinigami are known to bare young. It's rare, but the noble families have to get heirs from somewhere."

Was a plausibility he would look into later.

In the distance, there was a muffled slam, followed by the approaching force that belonged to only one being.

"Well, speak of the damn devil." Grimmjow growled, loud enough for Orihime to hear as she looked up, turn her head towards the incoming reiatsu. Surprise followed by relief and longing running across her face as Ulquiorra appeared in the open doorway.

Ignoring the others for the moment, in which time, Szayel hid the small device in the depths of his person, Ulquiorra flashed to Orihime's side. His all-observant eyes doing a quick inspection, as he pulled her to her feet. Finding nothing physically wrong with her, he herded her towards the doors, pausing to double back into the W.C to gather her discarded uniform.

Only when he had rejoined her at the entrance, did he give the other Arrancars his stoic attention, more on the smirking panther then the just as giddy scientist, who had chosen that moment to place something Ulquiorra couldn't see into one of the many drawers.

Upon debating whether or not the skin the panther now for touching what is his, Ulquiorra was distracted from several meticulous methods of tanning a hollow's hide by a weak tug on his arm. Turning slightly, the grey orb, which spoke in volume of emotions he had yet to explore, pulled him away from the dimly lit laboratory, away from the potential scuffle that would soon kick up.

Whether or not the panther could keep his hands and mouth to himself, determined how long he had to further wait for said fight.

Once the tension died, Grimmjow found though that he had had his rush for now. With the information in hand, he perked up at the idea of shit finally happening around this empty place, and Aizen's reaction to all this come the next meeting. Which, he counted was in 2 more days.

Leaving the scientist to his own, where said scientist was already long gone, deep into his developing research for the notes he took, he lagged out of the dim place and back to his own territory.

_~This is gonna' be fun~_

* * *

**_Already working on the next chapter, so this Ino's working!_**

**_This Ino would like to note again, that she is a drawer. working on the writing skills, so it takes her longer to tranlate her drawing boards to a language that most humans that havent been around this Ino, can read._**

**_from previous drafts that have been available, old timers please note that this Ino is changing at lot of what happened last time. the scenes that she left you with will not be caused by the events from that case. Aizen won't be that dark this time around in that particular situation. Gin is still gonna be Gin._**

**_going back to work_**

**_~Ino_**


	3. Flashbacks: We counting back?

***She's back, watashi no tomodachis. Just so ya know this and the next chapter are gonna' be flashbacks. before anything else. Hai, sadly Ulqui still got killed by the Vasto Lordes form of Kurosaki Ichigo. yes the rest of the espada are gone. yes Tosen still gets chomped into mush..(snicker) However! No killing Gin. Bu'a Aizen still has his mullet. (WHY a mullet!) Later on. all in all kinda follows the manga. you'll know when it turns to this Ino's plot line (oddly, the only thing she own besides her oc's. eh what'cha gonna do.)**

**hai, this one is short, but saw that the whole piece was plus 11 pages so she cut it before we go further into the flashbacks. We done now? Wai'. Shout out to thoses who reviewed last time, Aishiteru! This Ino gets her kicks from em ^-^ **

**Enjoy***

* * *

**~As the black ash in her hand caked over the white sand ~**

She could feel them, just at the edge of her radar. Slithering around, under the surface like sharks in water.

Her heart gripped in fear as her pulse went sporadic. Sooner or later, they would jump and she would once again be the trapped prey. It mattered not the white clothes on her back or the shun-shun at her side, the ravenous hollows of Hueco Mundo's sands were slowly tightening the already closed noose around her neck.

Her back to the world, her face lit by the warm glow of her sōten kisshun, an ember of sunlight against the colorless dimension of the eternal night. The specks of black growing bigger until the distinction of fur and skin massed on the soft white sand.

Alone she waits, the figure under the little golden dome unmoving, the silent night uninterrupted by even the small organism. In the distance, the white mountain of the palace glows in the crescent moonlight. Nevertheless, she could not go back.

Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes to hours with hours upon endless existence before she realized her mistake on concentration. Or lack of.

The white glare of the bone mask that blended evenly among the sands, stands out against the black horizon as the speeding mass rocketed towards Orihime and her helpless patient.

Shock was replaced by determination as her Santen sprung with nothing to spare as the hollow barreled into it, forming hairline cracks, but nevertheless thrown off quite a pace away.

Merely shaking its stun, the now agitated predator looped back to once again prowl towards its hunt. The red eyes narrowing at her defense.

~_Those horrible red eyes_~

"You will not touch him!" Orihime chanted quietly, a bead of sweat running down her cheek, her arms out. Just waiting for the next strike, an eye quickly glancing at the nearly complete body next to her.

"Koten Zanshun!" She cried, the night slashed with the golden flash as her fay shot towards the hollow. Only to miss as the predator dodged her attack at the last second, making Tsubaki arc too far away to make a comeback.

She had little time to move as once again the hollow charged only to once again slam into her shield, this time shattering it and taking the bearer with it as the hollow rolled off.

Crashing into the soft sands, Orihime only had seconds to register the hollow descent on her before her eyes snapped shut waiting for the impact of claws and fangs sinking into her flesh and ripping her apart.

It never came.

The blood-curdling screech of an animal was what her ears rung with as the feeling of motion swept around her. A rumbling animistic growl like thunder vibrated through her body as claws lifted and wrapped around Orihime's being.

A slip of green slid under the thin skin of her eyelids before the only human of Hueco Mundo lost total consciousness.

The talons held fast to the unconscious princess as his all-seeing eyes scanned for further trash. Her enemy ripped apart in the sand, to be consumed by others, all waiting below the surface.

The stoic eyes softened momentarily as Ulquiorra glanced at her, confusion twisting his purpose into a tighter mesh of knots. He extended his reiatsu further, but nevertheless coming up with no resistance, validating the presence of his enemies. The distant palace seemed … beholding yet ominous with the clear desert between them as Ulquiorra straightened with his precious cargo in hand.

_Were the Shinigami done already? Or had something else occurred?_

There was nothing.

_And yet, here she was._

_Completely alone._

The desire to know bothered him, just as much as the desire to understand the woman in his arms. Settling with the lesser of the two evils, Ulquiorra flexed his wings flex experimentally, nothing short of perfection. The stillness shredded by the black as his wing spread, and Ulquiorra took flight.

In one leap, they were a hundred feet up. In one stroke, they were nearly there and in a few minutes, his talons touched down lightly on the shattered domes roof.

Setting his companion down gently, he waited beside her, his tail sliding over her form. He wasn't one to rush so he would wait. He would wait patiently.

**4*4*4*4***

_The metallic scream of blades, the pounding reiatsu._

_**~ Those eyes~ **_

_The ripping flesh, the cascade of blood._

_**~Those horrible eyes~**_

_The gurgling cry._

_The blood soaked sun mane_

_Albino white skin against a black canvas_

_**~Those hungry hollow scorching red eyes~**_

_That horned white-black striped mask._

Orihime's eyes shot open with shock and horror as her body shook, her arms wrapped around her. A shivering whimper escaping her being before a shadow across and Orihime froze.

A black rope of fur slithered around and in between her wrists, to only be wrenched back, her tied wrists above her, her back against the dome's wall.

Slowly Orihime's eyes followed the tail to its end as a clawed hand turned her chin up to look her shocked grey orbs to his cool green.

Her lips parted as a small intake of breath swept past, as his pale face moved closer.

"Ulquiorra." Barely a whisper into the night.

"Foolish onna."

* * *

The woman was asleep, rather peacefully in his warm embrace, her skin felt odd against his sweat matted pelt, her own perspiration shining in the moonlight. Her rags of what was once her uniform in shredded pieces around them. Sighing, Ulquiorra shifted her limp body around as he stood, his wings folding close to him.

Black ribbons broke mechanically as Ulquiorra shifted back to his release state and finally to his sealed form, the green hilted blade at his side and the half bone helmet in its original place. His clothes however had not rematerialized. Securing Orihime in his grip, Ulquiorra stepped through the gaping hole in the dome, falling back into the artificial sunlight.

His landing was silent as he made a beeline for the remaining scattered towers. Most, he could see, were still intact, but the massive area of destruction was an eyesore none the less.

The cool feeling of the hard floors felt different under his feet as he paced through the endless corridors. There were no signs of any source of life or any other inhabitants as he moved towards his domain.

The black **4 **remained untouched against the white wall as he turned yet more corners, his final destination being his main master bedroom. Balancing Orihime in one arm, Ulquiorra placed his palm to a point beside where a door would stand on the wall. A green beam of reiatsu outlined a fairly large rectangle as a door formed and swung open, letting its master in with his cargo.

Pulling back the silk black sheets of the king sized bed, he placed her under the soft sheets with care, watching the sheets rise and fall evenly with her breathing, her fiery hair a halo on the white pillows. Softly, a pale hand caressed her warm cheeks, his fingers absentmindedly twisting a strand of her orange locks around them, feeling the softness. Releasing it, Ulquiorra pulled back, changing his course to the adjacent bathroom, leaving Orihime to her own as she slept on.

Dreaming of what was to be her fate.

* * *

**This Ino isn't skilled with her lemons all that much yet. maybe later on, justy not now, k? (besides with as many lemons that there are 53 fanfiction PAGES!people you get the idea, hai?)**

**review?**


	4. Still Flashbacks: Damnit!

**You read now.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

_**~"So we've won the fight, but have we won the war?"~**_

_The silence was strangely unnerving, having been previously been in the midst of fight after fight after blood bath. The possible tension was staggering, as Orihime followed the white back of Ishida, as he led her over the sunlit dunes. He was talking to her she registered, but she couldn't find it in herself to pull the pieces together and string the sounds into comprehensible speech. Only when he finally stopped to wave a concerning hand in front of her face, did she snap out of her deep thoughts._

_The green eyes dissolved to the back of her mind as she jumped a little, laughing guiltily as she gave Ishida her full attention._

"_Heheheh, gomen nasai, Ishida-kun, I was just thinking about how I couldn't wait to get home and be able to cook all my favorites again!" She got very animate as she continued. "Maybe I should ask Rangiku-chan what she'd want for dinner. Oh, what if we could make some stew again! This time with some peanut butter for sweetness, but wait...if we add some hot sauce it can be both sweet and spicy! Oh! And some barbequed pork for flavor would be great as well! Hmm, maybe rice with bean paste as a side or maybe some durian with pickles and caramel sauce? Got to put more vitamins in one's diet, you know!"_

_She was so animated she didn't see Ishida gag as he backed away from her in minute sheer terror._

_HE remembers the ghastly purple monster she and the tenth fukutaicho had concocted while he and Kurosaki had been tied to chairs and gagged so they couldn't escape the busty womens' grip._

_He shuddered to think what the crazy pair would create this time, but when/if they did, he would be long gone before they would use him as a test subj… taster again._

_He chose instead to leave her to her colorful imagination of her culinary arts, as the sight of the other groups came into view._

_The call of her own name in different voices brought Orihime's attention to the present in enough time to be crushed in bone breaking hugs from the giant and the petite shinigami. Her nakama and shinigami friends alike crowding around her, insuring her with their comfort. It made her light and warm, the warmth of their love and heart. It felt wonderful!_

_But then, why did she feel this sense of doubt? Ishida was telling the story of above the dome to the captains, insuring the last of the Espada had fallen. Rukia giving her own account of her battles against the spawning __Exequias__. Behind the one she recognized as Kurotsuchi, the __aristocratic gaze of Kuchiki made her feel like she was being scrutinized._

_In the back of her wide mind, a cord struck her wrong. For that moment, she felt caged from all sides again._

'_Something's not right.' She tried to calm the growing panic, putting a smile on her face when they looked at her._

"_Is everyone here now?" the bored whine of Kurotsuchi drawled, as the others gathered around him. The researcher had a device, similar to a TV remote in his hand, and when he pushed a blue button, the dimension ripped open. "Good, now everyone pay attention because," and he grinned, his golden teeth bare, "any form of bodily causalities that aren't already afflicted during the journey through or anyone falling off the pathway due to their own lack of control, well let's just say you fools won't be missed." He leered particularly toward Kenpachi, Ishida and Chad. _

"_Once you're in, keep running till you come out. Of course, I can't possibly predict where half of the little maggots will pop out at, but at least you should be in one piece. If not, you'll die as __the __Kōryū_ _comes crashing down, or if you get sucked up by __the __Kōtotsu, so of course its unpredictable."_

_With his little lecture giving, Kurotsuchi moved aside as Byakuya moved to address the group. _

"_We're returning to the Soul Society. The Site has been voided of the enemy generals, while our main enemy has moved to the real site. We are to join up with the main force to aid in the fight."_

_As the group started to pair up however, both the 4__th__'s fukutaicho and 7__th__ Seat shunpo'd to Orihime sides, surprising her and her nakama._

"_Excuse us, Inoue-san. Sotaicho's orders were to safeguard you until the battle was over. as such we will not be going to the site, till eveything's been cleared." It was faint, but there was a hint of something neighboring regret in the lieutenant's eye, unseen by her nakama._

"_But wouldn't it be more effective if she was close by to heal those on the battlefield?" the Quincy inquired, curious of the lieutenant's request. "If it's a matter of safety, I_"_

"_It isn't whether or not, you can protect her amongst the warfare, Quincy. It's more towards Sotaicho's orders. Inoue Orihime is to be safely remove from all matters pertaining to Aizen Sosuke, till the enemy has been dealt with." The leery researcher said. "All those who are ready, able and mobile are to partake in the battle. How could you, Quincy, protect both her and your back?" he chuckled darkly._

"_Easily." Ishida hissed icily, glaring daggers into the researcher back as he had turned away from the argument to stand on a lit ridge, looking over the inside's horizon._

"_It doesn't matter." Byakuya said, ending all attempts of further argument. "Inoue is to remain in the 4__th__'s fukutaicho's jurisdiction until the matter of Aizen is finished. There is to be no further discussion of this. You, Quincy, might not be under the Gotei's command, however considering your position in our companies affair relating to this matter, you will still apply and abide by our rulings."_

_Another minute of glaring before Ishida looked to her, silent pleading and questioning evident in his gaze before someone herded him towards the wide Garganta. Even as he and Chad where pushed along, they're eyes never left Orihime's smiling face. Her wave goodbye. _

_Then there was the mass of black as they ran forward through, unable to look back any further._

_Rukia had her hands clasped over Orihime's as she made promises of more time together, training, hanging out and school, before she too, joined another group of shinigami disappearing through the gateway._

_Leaving the human, with the two remaining Taichos, fukutaicho and the little 7__th__ seat. She lost her pose, as her head hung. She knew better than that. Her hunch had seeded and grown since Aizen made his broadcast pertaining to her purpose to him and location._

"_Was telling them a lie, really meant to save anyone?" her voice was sad, but it held a noble purpose in her fainting heart._

_He had to give the onna credit; she was quicker than Quincy at the very least. And far more intelligent in the ryoka boy, upon catching her circumstance in the recent events._

"_As I stated before, you, Inoue Orihime are to remain in the 4__th__ fukutaicho until the matter with Aizen Sosuke is dealt with. Once that matter is dealt with, under orders from the Sotaicho and the __Chūō Shijūroku, you, will be taken to the Chūō Shijūroku Compound. There you will be judged by the Gotei and the 40 wise men and 6 judges in corresponse to the actions taken by you, prior to Los Noches invasion. If convicted, you will be executed. That is the law."_

_She took her conviction in the cold numbness that was her shock and despair. In the back of her mind, a stoic voice was whispering to her that that was going to be her end. No matter what she did. No matter what anyone else did. That was her role._

_Mentally, with what was still functional, she had to laugh. Her current role hadn't changed all that much, except that her new cell would most likely have a window that would let real sunlight through it. _

_And the moon would change every night till she was given her final sentence. It was humorous._

* * *

_**~A ghostly pale hand reaching for her against the growing black~**_

* * *

_She was gently being walked away from the garganta's foundation by Isane-fukutaicho, when she became aware of her surroundings again. The remaining Taicho were absent, Kurotsuchi, having disappearing back into Los Noches' plain to find more treasures and Kuchiki having gone through the garganta to join the skirmish, leaving the trio alone among the sands._

_Shivers ran down her spine as she felt unseen eyes upon them. Looking and feeling around, she saw no one but them. Even when she was questioned by the others, she told them of her hesitation. They too felt around, but alas confirmed to Orihime that there was no one out there strong enough to cause endangerment._

**_*4*4*4*_**

_In the distance, further then the shinigamis own eyes could see however, a figure stood from the outer balcony of a white building. His single eye, as the other was covered by his hole and bone, watched patiently as the shinigami eased their guard around the human onna. _

'_The shinigami were foolish to believe that the Espada were the only ones to worry about,' he thought. Yes, he wasn't strong enough to match with a Taicho, but he had speed and was a master at stealth alongside his brothers._

_The human knew better, having been around his kind for enough time. He knew she knew he was out here. Knew he was watching, her instincts having been sharpened in his superiors wake._

_From his shoulder, his blade preened in excitement at the chance to fight. The 7__th__ seat would be easy enough to overbear; the fukutaicho however, could be the limit he would be able to reach in the time that he had._

_The shinigami didn't matter to Ryoku though, as his gaze went back to white clad onna. She was still looking around for him as she couldn't throw his presence off as easily as the shinigami had._

_She had a spilt second warning before a fourth figure appeared in-between the three of them. His light brown locks hadn't fallen completely, as he gave her a sharp glare, before glancing at the shinigami close to him as he stood straight. _

_Though everyone tensed, no one moved as the fukutaicho broke the silence._

"_What do you want here, Arrancar? Your commanders are slain and the Generals soon to be. We won't be loitering here much longer, so avoiding spilling anymore would benefit us all. Wouldn't you agree?"_

_The Arrancar just stared at the fukutaicho; he duly noted the breathing pattern of the onna behind had hitched a little. 'In fear no doubt. Curious, does she care for these shinigami?'_

"_My concern for my comrades stems only from that they are stronger than me, fukutaicho. It matters not whether the general survive, if they do then they do. If they don't then the hollows can revert back to how we once were. I personally don't care for your absence, by all means leave. Your kind don't take us well in your dimension, neither do we with you in ours. As for what I want," he turned to glance at Orihime creeping to one side of him. "the onna is to remain."_

_Isane frowned. Confliction of keeping this conversation clean and keeping her comrades safe, were striking against the Arrancar's goal. "Sorry to contradict to your wish, but Inoue-san is coming with us; she no longer has a reason of being in your realm."_

_His head turned slightly, looking at the shinigami at an angle as his face lost what little emotion it had. "Hmmm. We seem to have a conflict in beliefs, fukutaicho. Shame."_

_Before anyone could do anything, he disappeared again, reappearing behind Orihime. She felt a tug from around her middle, then there was nothing as white flashed by, the protests of the shinigami were lost in the rush of air through her ears._

_When Orihime opened her eyes again, she found herself in a white world with a black sky and a reverse crescent moon. The Arrancar was standing still beside her, his gaze to the illuminating moon._

"_Why?"_

_He stayed still, facing the desert. He didn't know why. He didn't care for the human onna. But the white cloth she bore had stirred something in him. Something a superior had mentioned to him once._

"'_Those who don the uniform are our companions. Our comrades. Even if they choose not to accept it, the clothes on our backs still mark them as.' As of now, you have no importance to this world, your own or the Shinigami's." he crouched to grab a handful of sand. "The shinigami have labeled you a liability like they have given us. We are a disturbance to their balance and thus must be dealt with." Idly, he let the sand fall through the spaces between his fingers and watched it cloud back down to the ground._

"_If you remove a grain or two of sand from a desert, will it be missed?" the Arrancar glanced at Orihime._

_She shook her head, while he looked in the distance again._

"_No. Because no one would stop to notice or be able to notice a single grain of sand missing from a desert, similar to the populations of human not noticing one or two humans disappear."_

_He sighed. "What will you do?"_

_Orihime didn't know and voiced it. The Arrancar shook his head in disappointment._

"_That's not good enough here."_

"_What would you have me do?" Orihime cried, the frustration and pain unmistakably evident. "I can't go back to the life that I had. I can't return to my world and be with my friends, my nakama or anything!" Tears were dripping into the sand below, absorbing as quickly as they fell._

"_Tatsuki, Sado-kun, Ishida-kun, Rukia-san, Rangiku-san, I won't ever see them again…"_

_The Arrancar just stood by and watched her bare her emotions before her. Mildly, he wondered if all humans were all like this. Was he when he was human?_

_He felt a twinge of pity for what he was going to do to this onna. But that's the way things were, if she can't handle it then she really was a waste in time and energy. He started walking, leaving her where she sat._

_Noticing the distance in the Arrancar's reiatsu from hers, Orihime jumped up, looking for her would-be rescuer. She scrambled after him as he continued his stroll into the sands._

_He didn't lead her far. _

_On top of the dune, she could see a small cluster of the thin trees, poking out from the sand. Curious, she ventured to get a better look._

_The trees were only a foot or two away from each other, their formation making a circle as she walked into the center. Her hand glided across a trunk, as she was curious about its texture. Oddly enough, it felt like a polished stone, smooth and refined. Were they like that cause of the environment?_

_She turned around to ask the Arrancar, when she caught sight of him still on top of the dune she had descended. He was staring down at her. Behind him, the behemoth of a palace shadowed. _

_"Los Noches still stands. You can return and hope that others will not take the actions that most will take upon you. You could return to the Shinigami and leave your fate to them." He point to out to the desert, "You could try to venture further from this place and try to survive in this world harsh environment." He looked back at her. "Whatever you choose, you're on your own."_

_"Why did you help me then?" she asked. "If you were just going to leave me to_?"_

_"My reasons are my own. Find yours." _

_And with that he disappeared, leaving Orihime all alone in the world of hollows._

* * *

**What will happen?**

**You don't know.**

**But this Ino knows.**

**Soon you will know.**

**Just not now**

**~soon~**

**~BEWARE the busty womens' food. You won't know when it'll strike. Coming out from under the lid, the mass forming a eerie smile at you, knowing thats its going to claim you as its first of many victums.~**

**You were warned.**

**Jus' to be noted. Even after Aizen "cleaned" house, they refilled with a new set of 46. Jus' saying.**


End file.
